


interlude

by slyther_ing



Series: pathways to you [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Short One Shot, setting up the plot for the planned hucey soulmate fic i suppose yeeT
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 19:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13324815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slyther_ing/pseuds/slyther_ing
Summary: Marcus can feel the preemptive disaster that is Adrian and Terence about to unfold, and in characteristic fashion, chooses to go back to bed.





	interlude

**Author's Note:**

> a short little piece of fluff while i figure out my bearings for hucey LMAO

The Floo sounds just as Marcus is getting comfortable, Oliver curled up tight under his chin. A low grumble from his boyfriend keeps Marcus from ignoring the calls of his name issuing in from the living room. He moves Oliver off to the side, a quiet sigh issuing from his disturbed bed partner before Oliver turns over onto his other side, already drifting off deeper into sleep. Marcus looks back, eternally pleased with the red string that stretches lazily between them.

Terence’s head is in the center of a green ring of fire - Marcus almost makes a comment on how fitting it is that he looks like he’s in Hell, but the panicked look on Higgs’ face makes him come to a standstill in the doorway.

“Terence,” Marcus gets through, before Higgs starts babbling.

“You wanna know what just happened to me at the bar? Fucking hell, Flint - of all people, I swear to god, I thought I’d lost it, thought when I’d left for France-”

“Would you quiet it down?” Marcus hisses, moving closer and shushing Terence with a wave of his hand. “Oliver’s sleeping.”

Terence’s lips curl, and Marcus glares at him until Higgs stands down. No doubt, it only worked because he has something else clearly pressing on his mind.

“If you’re only here to gossip-”

“Fuck off, Flint,” Terence sneers, running a hand through his uncharacteristically messy hair, “No, you daft bastard, I ran into Pucey at the bar. Adrian Pucey. My soulmate, remember?”

Marcus looks at him, coolly unamused. “Seeing as I’m the one who still talks to him on a regular basis, yes.”

“Yes, well.”

Silence falls between them and while Terence looks increasingly aggravated, Marcus doesn’t have the patience for Higgs, who he knows had ran off to practically every other place in Europe just to avoid talking to Adrian. Adrian, who he knows is still patiently waiting and who Marcus thinks deserves a better partner than the Fates have given him. Perhaps it’s his settled domestic life talking, but Marcus isn’t about to play mediator - or matchmaker, for that matter.

“So what?” Marcus asks, settling down on the couch with a sigh, “You talk to him?”

“Unfortunately.” Terence gripes.

Marcus crosses his arms. “You’re still a bastard, Higgs.”

“He approached me and - you didn’t tell me he got attractive.” Terence’s voice takes on an accusatory tone and Marcus rolls his eyes.

“If you’re thinking of getting with your soulmate purely because he got tall and handsome, I’ll personally see to it that you don’t get anywhere near him.” Marcus warns, because it’s honestly shallow, and an incredibly Terence thing to do - to run until there’s something worth going after.

Terence raises a well-groomed eyebrow, mouth tight. “You’re a killjoy, Flint.”

“You don’t - fuck, Higgs, you don’t  _fuck around_  with your fucking soulmate.”

“Didn’t you?” Terence shoots back, and Marcus clenches his jaw, reminded very starkly of the messy beginning of his and Oliver’s relationship. It’s not something he’s ever been proud of, which Higgs knows quite clearly.

“It’s because of that that I’m telling you to step off, Higgs,” Marcus says before standing and indicating that perhaps Terence should take his pretty head and his messed up morals out of his fireplace, “Adrian’s a good kid. Don’t make it worse than it already is.”

Terence casts him another exasperated look, before sniffing reproachfully. “Should’ve known better than to come to you with this. Fine - I won’t. You can go back to your cozy little love nest now.”

And with another scoff, Terence Higgs whisks away just as suddenly as he’d appeared.

Marcus sighs again, weary of his longest friend’s antics, but whether or not Higgs ever gets his head straightened out isn’t up to him. He turns off the remaining lamp with a wave of his wand, then heads back to where Oliver’s still curled up into a ball amidst the covers.

When he gets back into bed, Oliver turns and latches a leg over his hip. Marcus bites back a laugh at Oliver’s sleepy face - they both have early mornings, but Quidditch wears Oliver down much, much more than sitting in the office does for Marcus. He’s been losing a bit of muscle tone and makes a mental note to get back on those routine workouts with Oliver when he has the time.

“Thought you were asleep.” Marcus runs his fingers in Oliver’s hair soothingly as Oliver stretches out the kinks and tight muscles in his body.

“You weren’t here to spoon,” Oliver says stubbornly, aiming a light kick at Marcus’ shins when Marcus snickers. Oliver’s a touchy creature, which Marcus never complains about, but it does mean he’s fairly set in his routines before bed. 

“Who was that?” Oliver yawns, pressing his face against Marcus’ arm until he’s once again nestled within an embrace. “Fucking loud…”

“Terence,” Marcus says, shifting his pillow until it’s comfortable, “Says he met Adrian at the bar tonight.”

“They need to get that shit sorted out.”

“At least you don’t have to listen to both of them,” Marcus grumbles, knowing for sure that he’s going to receive an owl from Adrian in the next few days, asking if he’s free for coffee or a meal. He’ll have to fill up his quota of providing monthly emotional support and Marcus is unsure if he’s going to be able to do that with all the paperwork waiting for him in the office.

“No,” Oliver chuckles, and his voice is so laced with sleep that Marcus kisses him on the forehead, pulling the covers further up, “But I do have to listen to you.”

“Sucks,” Marcus laughs, “Sleep, then, go on.”

Oliver tucks himself back under Marcus’ chin, soft hair tickling his skin, but the warm weight of Oliver’s head against his chest is a comforting presence. The red of their soulmate thread winds slowly between their arms, magic singing with content.

He crosses his fingers for Terence and Adrian, even just for his own sake - there’s only so much heartbreak and drama Marcus can help with. He barely got through his own when he was seventeen, thank you very much.

**Author's Note:**

> this was written on the fly and v v short, but who can say no to flintwood cuddling?
> 
> lemme know how much angst i should put in the hucey fic badum tss


End file.
